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. >>> KHOU NEWS STARTS NOW.
>>> LOTS TO TALK ABOUT TONIGHT
STARTING WITH THE 3 THINGS YOU
NEED TO KNOW RIGHT NOW.
FIRST HEALTH CARE WORKERS WILL
SOON BE ABLE TO TEST TWICE AS
MANY PEOPLE.
MANY PEOPLE. FEMA WILL HELP THEM TO INCREASE
UP NOW TO 500 PEOPLE PER DAY.
LOCAL LEADERS ANNOUNCE AN
EMERGENCY MEDICAL CENTER IS
BUILT AND READY TO GO IF
NEEDED.
NEEDED.
NEEDED. THEY SAY THIS FACILITY WILL
SAVE LIVES IF HOSPITALS ARE
OVERRUN WITH COVID-19 PATIENTS.
STARTING MONDAY TEXAS PRISONS
WILL STOP TAKING INMATES FROM
COUNTY JAILS.
COUNTY JAILS. IT'S TRYING TO LIMIT THE SPREAD
OF COVID-19 BEHIND BARS.
RIGHT NOW 20 PRISON FACILITIES
ARE LOCKED DOWN DUE TO
OUTBREAKS.
OUTBREAKS. WE HAVE A LOT MORE TO TALK
ABOUT BUT FIRST WE NEED TO TALK
ABOUT WHAT IS HAPPENING
OUTSIDE.
OUTSIDE.
OUTSIDE. RAIN IS ON THE WAY FOR YOUR
EASTER SUNDAYS MORNING.
BLAKE MATTHEWS IS HERE.
SOME PEOPLE COULD SEE A STRONG
STORM.
STORM.
STORM. >>> THAT'S RIGHT.
WE HAVE A BRAND NEW TORNADO
WATCH.
WATCH.
WATCH. THIS DOES INCLUDE AREAS NEAR
SAN ANTONIO.
SAN ANTONIO. YOU WILL NOTICE WE HAVE SOME
STRONG THUNDERSTORMS
STRONG THUNDERSTORMS DEVELOPING.
DEVELOPING. THIS WILL BE PUSHING THROUGH
SAN ANTONIO IN THE NEXT COUPLE
OF HOURS AND EVENTUALLY WORKING
THROUGH THE NORTHERN AREAS OF
HOUSTON.
HOUSTON.
HOUSTON. DOES HAVE A 3 OUT OF 5, THIS IS
AN ENHANCED RISK OF SEVERE
WEATHER.
WEATHER.
WEATHER. SOMETHING WE ARE GOING TO WATCH
PRETTY CAREFULLY.
PRETTY CAREFULLY. SO HERE'S YOUR EASTER FORECAST.
SOME OF WHICH COULD BE ON THE
SEVERE SIDE.
SEVERE SIDE. THOSE STORMS BEGIN TO AND THE
SUN BEGINS TO COME OUT.
WE HAVE GOT BEAUTIFUL WEATHER
HEADING INTO NEXT WEEK.
WE ARE GOING TO TALK ABOUT THAT
AND A TORNADO OUTBREAK EXPECTED
FOR TOMORROW.
FOR TOMORROW. >>> WE WILL TALK IN A FEW
MINUTES.
MINUTES.
MINUTES. BLAKE, THANKS.
BLAKE, THANKS. >>> WIDESPREAD TESTING IS
NEEDED TO HELP STOP THE SPREAD
OF COVID-19.
OF COVID-19. DAVID GONZALES SHOWS US LOCAL
SITES ARE READY TO RAMP UP THE
NUMBER OF PEOPLE THEY SEE.
>> THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT HAS
NOW APPROVED TO DO UP TO 500
TESTS PER SITE PER DAY.
>> ANNOUNCED THE TESTING
FACILITIES AT COUNTY AND CITY
SITES WILL DOUBLE BUT IN ORDER
TO GET A BETTER SENSE OF COVID-
19 COMMUNITY SPREAD MORE
TESTING NEEDS TO BE READILY
AVAILABLE.
AVAILABLE. THAT INCLUDES SERVING
UNDERSERVED.
UNDERSERVED. >> IF WE DON'T HAVE ENOUGH
TESTING, GET A RESULT BACK
QUICKLY, ISOLATE THEMSELVES AND
ANYONE THEY HAVE COME INTO
CONTACT WITH AND EVERYBODY ELSE
CAN GO ON WITH THEIR LIVES WE
ARE GOING TO BE RIGHT BACK
WHERE WE WERE 3 WEEKS AGO.
>> OFFICIALS SAY BEFORE THEY
CAN EVEN THINK ABOUT LIFTING
STATE HOME ORDERS THE VIRUS
NEEDS TO GET BACK ITS PEAK.
>> BECAUSE THIS VIRUS SPREADS
IN PEOPLE WHO DON'T EVEN HAVE
SYMPTOMS, ALL THE MORE
IMPORTANT WE IDENTIFY AND GET
AN IDEA HOW FAR SPREAD IT IS
WITHIN THE COMMUNITY.
>> TO ACHIEVE THIS THE COUNTY
SAYS REALTIME TESTS ARE
CRUCIAL.
CRUCIAL.
CRUCIAL. BUT THEY ARE NOT BEING USED
MUCH OUTSIDE OF THE PRIVATE
SECTOR.
SECTOR.
SECTOR. ONCE THAT HAPPENS HEALTH
LEADERS BELIEVE THEY WILL GAIN
THE UPPER HAND IN THE BATTLE
AGAINST CORONA VIRUS.
IN HOUSTON I'M DAVID GONZALES.
>>> THAT UPDATE ON TESTING CAME
AFTER LOCAL LEADERS TOURED THE
NEW BACK UP MEDICAL SHELTER
OVER AT NRG PARK.
RIGHT NOW THAT FACILITY IS NOT
ACTIVATED BUT IT CAN SERVE 250
PATIENTS IF HOSPITALS EXCEED
THEIR CAPACITY AND EXTEND TO
2000 BEDS IN A WORSE CASE
SCENARIO.
SCENARIO.
SCENARIO. ONE UNIT FOR SUSPECTED
POSITIVEs AND AWAITING TEST
RESULTS.
RESULTS.
RESULTS. THERE'S ALSO A MOBILE MEDICAL
UNIT CAPABLE OF ICU CARE.
PROJECTIONS SHOW THE LOCAL PEAK
WILL COME WITH BEDS TO SPARE IN
HOSPITALS BUT THOSE PROJECTIONS
DEPEND ON PEOPLE DOING THEIR
PART.
PART.
PART. >>
PART. >> THOSE PROJECTIONS ARE ALL
BASED ON THE ASSUMPTION THAT
PEOPLE CONTINUE TO STAY HOME
UNTIL WE HAVE PEAKED AND WE
HAVE NOT PEAKED YET.
>> SO FAR THE COUNTY HAS SPENT
$11 MILLION HERE.
COUNTY APPROVED A MAXIMUM OF 60
MILLION.
MILLION.
MILLION. THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT WILL.
>>> HOUSTON MAYOR POLICE CHIEF
TOOK A SEPARATE TOUR AFTER
THAT.
THAT.
THAT. THEY WANTED TO SEE IF PEOPLE
WERE OBEYING THE MAYOR'S ORDER.
THIS VIDEO SHOWS IT VIRTUALLY
EMPTY.
EMPTY.
EMPTY. MAYOR TURNER SAID HE SAW THE
SAME THING AT HER MAN AND
BUFFALO BAYOU.
BUFFALO BAYOU. >>> JUST BECAUSE YOU HAVE BEEN
APPROVED FOR UNEMPLOYMENT
BENEFITS DON'T THINK YOU
AUTOMATICALLY GET THE MONEY.
YOU HAVE TO ASK FOR IT.
AND REPORTER ERICA TELLS US
TONIGHT GETTING ONLINE TO MAKE
THAT REQUEST, IT CAN BE
FRUSTRATING.
FRUSTRATING. >>> ONCE YOU ARE APPROVED FOR
UNEMPLOYMENT THE TEXAS WORK
FORCE COMMISSION TELLS YOU WHEN
TO REQUEST A PAYMENT.
IT'S MEANT TO MAKE SURE YOU ARE
STILL ELIGIBLE.
STILL ELIGIBLE. GOT LAID OFF NEAR THE START OF
SHELTER IN PLACE.
HE IS TRYING TO GET HIS FIRST
UNEMPLOYMENT PAYMENT.
UNEMPLOYMENT PAYMENT. >> IT DOESN'T TAKE ME ANYWHERE.
>> WE SPOKE WITH HIM ONLINE.
>> LET'S SEE IF IT WORKS.
>> IT DIDN'T.
THE UNEMPLOYMENT PAGE SAID TO
USE, THAT'S THE SITE WHERE YOU
LOOK FOR JOBS.
INSTEAD HE FOUND ANOTHER ERROR.
>> INACTIVATED.
>> INACTIVATED. >> HE SENT AN E-MAIL.
>> IT SAYS YOU DID NOT FINISH
YOUR RESET PASSWORD PROCESS
WITHIN THE 3 DAY CALENDER
ALLOWED.
ALLOWED.
ALLOWED. >> YOU HE SAID HE HAD ONE DAYS
AGO.
AGO.
AGO. THE
AGO. THE OPTION NOW, CONTACT
UNEMPLOYMENT BENEFIT SERVICES.
>> OKAY, THEY ARE BUSY.
>> THE DIRECTOR DID A FACEBOOK
LIVE ANSWERING QUESTIONS FROM
THE PUBLIC.
THE PUBLIC. >> OUR SYSTEM RUNS ON A
MAINFRAME COMPUTER WHICH IS
VERY STABLE BUT VERY DIFFICULT
TO UPDATE AND MODIFY.
>> THE WORK FORCE COMMISSION
WILL DOUBLE TO HANDLE THE
CAPACITY.
CAPACITY.
CAPACITY. THEIR IT DEPARTMENT IS WORKING
24 HOURS EVERY DAY.
IF YOU DON'T GET IN ON YOUR
ASSIGNED DAY, OPEN TIMES ARE
THURSDAY THROUGH SATURDAY AND
YOU WILL NOT BE PENALIZED
SHOULD YOU HAVE TROUBLE GETTING
THROUGH.
THROUGH.
THROUGH. WE ARE STILL WORKING TO GET YOU
MORE INFORMATION.
MORE INFORMATION. I'M ERICA PROFFER.
>>> SPENDING SO MUCH TIME AT
HOME A LOT OF PEOPLE ARE
REALIZING THEIR LIVES ARE
MISSING SOMETHING.
MISSING SOMETHING. MORE PEOPLE ARE ADOPTING RIGHT
NOW.
NOW.
NOW. IN
NOW. IN FACT THE ANIMAL SHELTER LOOK
AT THAT, IT'S 50, ALL EMPTY,
ALL 50 ANIMALS FOUND HOMES THIS
WEEK.
WEEK.
WEEK. >>
WEEK. >> THANKS TO THE COMMUNITY WE
ARE ABLE TO ADOPT OUT, ALSO
FIND FOSTERS FOR SOME 300
ANIMALS SO THAT ALLOWED US TO
TEMPORARILY CLOSE OUR ADOPTION
CENTER AND ALLOW US TO FOCUS ON
EMERGENCY SERVICES.
EMERGENCY SERVICES. >> AS MORE DOGS AND CATS GO OUT
MORE WILDLIFE IS COMING IN.
WORKERS BELIEVE PEOPLE STAYING
AT HOME THEY ARE NOTICING MORE
WILD ANIMALS AROUND THEM AND
THEY ARE REPORTING THOSE THAT
APPEAR TO NEED HELP.
>>> FOR THE FIRST TIME ALL 50
STATES ARE DECLARED DISASTER
AREAS TONIGHT AS THE COUNTRY'S
DEATH TOLL FROM CORONA VIRUS
SURPASSED 20,000 TODAY.
HERE'S REPORTER MICHAEL GEORGE.
>> AS THE NATION PAST THE GRIM
20,000 MARK FOR CORONA VIRUS
DEATHS PRESIDENT TRUMP APPROVED
WYOMING AS THE 50th STATE TO
APPROVE DISASTER.
APPROVE DISASTER. IN HARDEST HIT NEW YORK CITY
MAYOR SAID HE'S KEEPING THE
SCHOOL SYSTEM CLOSED FOR THE
REST OF THE SCHOOL YEAR.
>> WORST MISTAKE WE COULD MAKE
IS TO TAKE OUR FOOT OFF THE GAS
AND ENDS UP IN A SITUATION
WHERE THIS DISEASE HAD A
RESURGENCE AND THREATENED US
EVEN MORE.
EVEN MORE. >> THE MAYOR HAS AN OPINION.
>> GOVERNOR FIRED BACK SAYING
NO DECISION HAS BEEN MADE.
FRIDAY BROUGHT YET ANOTHER DAY
OF CLOSE TO 800 DEATHS IN THE
STATE.
STATE.
STATE. FUNERAL DIRECTORS ARE SOMETIMES
CALLED THE LAST RESPONDERS.
JESUS IS OVER OVERWHELMEDDED.
>> WE ARE DOING EVERYTHING THAT
WE POSSIBLY CAN BUT THE NUMBER
JUST KEEPS ON INCREASING.
>> TRYING TO STAY SAFE,
SHOPPERS IN SACRAMENTO
CALIFORNIA FOLLOWED FEDERAL
GUIDELINES AND ADVICE FROM
WEAR A MASK AND I HAD TO GET
CREATIVE.
CREATIVE.
CREATIVE. >> COUNTLESS CONGREGATIONS ARE
BRINGING SERVICES TO THE MASSES
ONLINE AS THEY PRAY FOR